Machine for forming closure caps



Aug. 17 1926. 1,596,538

H. INGRAM MACHINE FOR FORMING CLOSURE CAPS Filed March 31, 1923 3Sheets-Sheet 1 I I I I I I Aug. 17 1926.

H. INGRAM MACHINE FOR FORMINGCLOSURE cars Filed March 31, 1923 3"Sheets-Sheet 2 YIIIIIIIIIII/ 1 illllllllllIlillHIIIHIIIIIIIIHHI\HHlIIIHHHHHIHlllHIHHHIIIllHI1| Aug. 17 ,1926.

H. INGRAM MACHINE FOR FORMING CLOSURE cars 3 Shoots-Sheet 5 Filed Marph31 1923 I I ILL Patented Aug. 11, 1926.

UNITED STATES HARRY INGRAM, OF BBBOKLYN, NEW YORK.

' HACTIINE FOR FORMING CIZOSUBE CAPS.

Application filed larch 31,

The invention relates to means for form-.

ing in the sides of closure-caps inner annular recesses adapted toreceive band-gaskets utilized for sealing against the flat sides of thetumblers, jars or the liketo which the caps may be applied:

The caps are firststamped up from sheet metal, preferably thin flexiblesheet aluminum, before they are submitted to the machine of my presentinvention, and in this stage said caps comprise a disk-top and a lainsmooth annular skirt portion depending from the peripheral edge of saidtop. The closure caps thus partly formed are submitted to the machineofmy invention, and therein and thereby'the skirt portions of the caps aretransformed, by a spinnin and rolling operation, from their flat conition into a shape specially adapted to receive side seal gaskets andcooperate with the gaskets in creating an effectual side-seal against atumbler or the like. The skirt portions of the partly constructed capsare, in accordance with my invention, formed inwardly on annulardownwardly and inwardly inclined or converging lines through ahorizontal intermediate section of the skirt, thus providing a shoulderextending toward the side of the receptacle for supporting a gasket andcreating above this shoulder an annular recess offset from the side ofthe receptacle to receive the gasket supported on the shoulder and intowhich recess the gasket is deformed and strongly pressed by theapplication of the cap to the receptacle. The said annular recess isdefined at its lover ed 'e by the aforesaid shoulder, at its upper edgeby the peripheralportion of the lower surface of the top of the cap andat its outer side by the upper portion of the skirt of the cap, saidupper portion of the skirt and said peripheral ortion of the top of thecap being left in t eir original shape and condition as given to them inthe dies. In the formation of the aforesaid gasket supporting andrecess-creating shoulder, I also form a narrow vertical flange out ofthe lower portion of the skirt of the partly constructed cap, thisflange extending downwardly from the inner edge of said shoulder. Themachine of my invention while transforming the plain fiat skirt of thepartly formed cap intothe gasket-receiving shape described, leaves allparts of the cap smooth and free of perceptible wrinkles or the like.

1923. Serial naczaocs.

' The machine of my invention comprises a bed or plate against which theflat top of the cap is held, a forming-flange or rim at the edge of saidplate having a groove and suitable surfaces against which the plain flatskirt of the cap is stron 1y pressed and ro- -tated to impart to it t egasket-receiving shape hereinbefore described, a forming r01 whichreceives and is less in diameter than the cap and is shouldered andsurfaced to co,- operate with said forming-flange or rim in shaping thesaid skirt, a spring acting to yieldingly cushion. the pressure exertedagainst'the plain skirt of the cap between 7 said roll and saidforming-flange or rim, and means for effecting a relative travelingmovement between said forming-flange or rim and said roll, whereby theroll and cap are rotated against said flange. The machine preferablyemploys several of the.

forming-rolls in cooperation with one forming-flange or rim, so as toincrease the capacity of the machine.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description'hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Flg. 1 1s a top view, partly broken away and taken in the direction ofthe arrow a of Fig. 4, of a machine constructed in 210- v 'cordance w1thand embodying the inven- .t1on;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a portion of the same, taken on thedotted line 2 -2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a portion of the machine, taken onthe dotted line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a. vertical section through the machine; i

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section and partly broken away, ofa modified wardly beyond in the flange 11, said shoulder 26 having ation of 'a machine frame and having throughout a large portion of itsperiphery an upstanding flange 11 formed with an undercut groove 12having a plain flat side surface 13, and an upwardly and outwardly1nclined surface 14, said surface 14 commenc ing at the upper edge ofthe surface 13 and terminating at the lower edge of a flat sur face 15which extends to the upper surface.

of the rim orflange 11, as shown in Fig. 4. The bottom-of the groove 12is flat and is formed by the outer edge portions of the flatuppersurface of the plate or table 10. The inner surface of the flange11 constitutes a grooved runway against which the plain side of a ca isrotated by means of rolls 16 and whic in cooperation with the rollstransforms the plain partly constructed closure-cap shown in Fig. 2 tothe recessed cap shown in Fig. 3, the recess being an nu ar and smoothand adapted to receive a suitable gasket which, with the'cap,constitutes a side-seal closure for tumblers, jars and the like. Thetable 10 has a flat top against which the flat tops of the caps ride,and said table is formed with a downwardly extending sleeve 17 (Fig. 4)within which is mounted a shaft 18 upon whose lower end is a beveledgear-wheel 19 and upon whose upper end is keyed a frame 20 having, inthe present instance, three arms 21 which are hollow in their outer endportions and receive slidable bars22 carrying the rolls 16- at theirouter ends and at their inner ends being pressed against by coiledsprings 23 confined within the arms 21, as shown in Flg. 4. The arms 21are slotted, as at 24. an pins 25 extend through these slots andthroughthe bars 22, whereby the movement of the bars 22 is limited andsaid bars-are confined to the arms 21.- The arms 21 are :all alike andlikewise the bars 22 are all a e and each bar 22 at its outer end has anaperture to receive the axle of one of the rolls 16. The rolls 16 arearranged to ro-' tate on ball bearings, as shown 1n Fig. 3, and eachroll has a flat lower surface, an annularly projecting shoulder 26 whichconforms exactly to the shape of the groove 12 fiat surface 27 to matchthe surface 13 of said groove and an inclined surface. 28 to match theinclined surface 14 of said groove. The rolls 16 also have, outwardlybeyond the inclined surface 28, a plain perip eral surface 29 matchingand extending outthe flat surface 15 of the flange or rim 11, asrepresented on an enlarged scale in Fig. 3.

The shaft 18 carrying the, arms 21 may receive its motion from anysuitable source and at present I illustrate a driving shaft 30 mountedover the base-plate. 31 and carrying a gear-wheel 32 in mesh with thegearwheel 19 on the shaft 18.

in its initial partly formed condition as fed to the machine of myinvention and by which machine said capy-by'a spinning or rollingoperation, has its skirt portion given the outline represented in' Fig.3, this outline conforming to the outline of the groove 12 in the flangeor rim 11 and that of the portions 27, 28 and 29 of the rolls 16,whereby an annular recess 34 is provided in said cap at the upperperipheral edges thereof, said recess being formed by the top of the capand the sections 35, 36 of the skirt portion of the cap, a flange 37being formed at the lower peripheral edges of said recess 34 andextending downwardly from the lower peripheral edge of the inclinedsection 36 of t e skirt portion of the cap. The caps are, whileinverted, fed to the machine in the condition in which they are shown inFig. 2, having plain straight annular skirts, and leave the machine inthe form in which they are shown in F ig. 3 having the recess 34 andskirt sections 35,36, 37. The purpose of forming the recesses 34 in theskirt shelf 38 at one edge of the plate or table .10, as shown in Figs.1 and 2, wherein the caps are numbered 33. The table 10 has an inclinedpocket 39 into which the caps pass from the feed table 38, and as therolls. 16 reach the caps 33 in the pocket 39, the forward edge of theroll engages the then higher portion of the cap 33 (Fig. 2) and drawsthe cap upwardly upon the main flat flooring of the table 10 and carriesthe cap against the forming edge flange or rim 11, whose starting end 40(Fig. 1) is adjacent to the pocket 39. The caps, one after another, areengaged by the rolls 16 as they reach and start to leave the location ofthe pocket 39 and said rolls carry said caps along the forming=flange orrim 11, starting from the point 40, to the diminishing point 41 thereofand after reaching the latter point allow the caps to drop into a chute42, whence they descend to a suitable place of deposit. The chute 42 hasan open upper end, as'shown in Figs. 1 and 4. During the travel of therolls 16 along the recesed jflange or rim 11, the springs 23 act withsufthe cap being pinched between said rolls and said flange. along theforming-flange or rim 11 by power, and hence are compelledto make acontinuous circuit of the table or plate 10 and during their travel.while pressed outwardly, said rolls effect the rotation of the capsagainst the forming rim or flange 11, with the result that the skirtportions of the caps are transformed from the straight outline shown inFig. 2 to the outline shown in Fig. 3. The springs 23 exert outwardpressure against the rolls 16 and caps 33 while said rolls and caps aretraveling against the inner surfaces of the rim or flange 11, saidsprings then being compressed by the'engaggement of the caps and rollswith said rim an e. Theri is a constant rotation of the arms 21 carryingthe rolls 16, and hence the caps to be transformed in shape are fed oneafter another to the pocket 39 and are taken up,

one after another, from the pocket 39 by the successive rolls astherolls reach said pocket and moved along the flange or rim 11. Theaction of the rolls 16 against the caps is both a rolling and spinningoperation and the caps finally leave the machine propery recessed, asshown in Fig. 3, and with all their surfaces entirelysmooth. In Fig. 1 Iillustrate the machine as employing three rolls 16 and three arms 21,but obviousl the invention. is not limited to any specia number of thearms 21 and one arm or half a dozen arms may be made use of, as may bedesired, the onl essential consideration being that each r0 1 16 shallhave a suflicient length of travel along the forming-flange or rim 11 toproperly transform the skirt of the cap carried by the roll from theshape shown in Fig. 2 to that illustrated in Fig. 3 and leave the capwith smooth surfaces. I

In Figs. 5 and 6, I illustrate a modification of the invention in whicha straight in.- stead of a circular forming-flange or rim 43 is made useof in connection with the roll 44 which conforms to the roll 16hereinbefore described. The forming-flange or rim 43 has the samegrooved formation as the rim orflange 11 and extends horizontally from aflat vertical plate or bed 45, and

' hence the rim or flange 43 does not require specific description. Therim or flange 43 44 being so positioned that when the capis thereon, asshown in Fig. 6, and the roll is moved upon the flange 43, it crowdssaid flange downwardly against the resistancev of the spring-cushion 48.In the construction shown in Figs. 5- and 6, the spring-cushion Therolls 16 are driven 48 does the. same work as the springs 23 in theconstruction shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The construction shown in Figs. 5and 6 will be understood from what hasbeen said with respect to Figs. 1to 4 inclusive without further detailedd explanation.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I illustrate a further modification of the inventionand therein 50 y I denotes a rotary disk having a formingflange or rim51 of the identical formation of the rim or flange 11 hereinbeforereferred to. The disk 50 is mounted on a shaft 51 which may be driven bya band wheel 52 oris mounted on the end of a rod 54 carried by a head 55which is adjustable transversely of the bed-plate 56 by means of a screw57, whereby the roller 53 may be moved toward or from the rim or flange51 of the disk 50. A coiled spring'58 is provided on the screw 57 andsaid screw carries a collar 59 engaging one end of said spring. When thescrew 57 is worked rearwardly to carry the collar 59 against the spring58, the spring becomes compressed and exerts its force to press the roll53 agaainstthe rim'or flange 51of the disk 50. y means of the screw 57,the pressure of the spring 58 maybe adjusted so .that it will be ampleto so force the roll 53 against the skirt of thecap as to press saidskirt against the inner forming surfaces of said rim or flange. Thescrew 57 is carried by a cross-head 60 and this cross-head is adjustablelaterally toward and from the disk 50 by means of a screw 61, wherebythe roller 53 may be entirely withdrawn from the disk 50 whenever sodesired. I present Figs. 7 and 8 .to-jndicate a reversal of theoperation of; a pbrtion of the mechanism shown inFig. 1. InFig. 1 therim or flange 51 is stationary and the rolls 16 are caused to travelalong its forming rim'or flange 11, and in Figs. 7 and 8 the rim. orflange 51 is the rotarymember, while the roll 53 is capable ofindependent rotation but otherwise stationary. I very greatly prefer theconstruction shownin Figs. 1 and 4, having used the same with greatsuccess.-

In the several forms of my invention hereinbefore described, it is to beobserved that in transforming the plain skirt of the cap 33 shown inFig. 2, to the shaperepresented in Fig. 3, the disk top of the cap 1snot at all I distorted, nor is that portion of the skirt numbered 35 inFig.3 distorted, but is left in its original "shape, said portion. 35being held in its original shape between the shoulder 26 of the formingroll and the adjacent surface 13 of the groove 12 in the formin rim orflange 11, as shown at the right han edge of Fig. 3. The portions of theskirt of the cap which are reshaped by the machines of my invention arethe inclined intermediate section 36 and the flange 37 extending fromthe inner edge thereof. The part 36 is formed inwardly, as shown in Fig.3, between the inclined surface 28 of the formingroll and the adjacentsurface 14 of the rim or flange 11, and the flange 37 is positionedinwardly by the wall 15 of the forming-rim or flange 11 and the wall29on the formingroll, said portions 36, 37 being displaced inwardly alongannular lines and creating the recess 34 to receive a gasket to engagethe sides of the tumbler or the like to which the cap may beapplied. Theinclined section 36 of the skirtof the cap provides a shoulder tosupport the gasket asvwell as creating the recess 34, which is closed atits lower end by said shoulder. In all the forms of my inventiondescribed, the forming rolls are exactly alike and all of them are lessin diameter than the plain cap 33 shown in Fig. 2, and in each instancethe pressure exerted against the skirt of the cap between the.forming-roll and forming-flange is cushioned, this being by the spring23 of Fig. 4,"

the cushion 48 of of Fig. 8.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

Fig. 6 and the spring 58 1. Ina machine of the character described fortransforming the flat skirt of a partly formed closure-cap into a skirthaving an annular recess at its} upper end to receive a. side-sealgasket, a flat base plate extending outwardly therefrom and having atits inner .edge an undercut groove, a forming roll to receive and beingless in diameter than the cap and having a. shoulder and side surfacesconform ng to the groove and surfaces of said forming-flange and adaptedto co-operate therewith in forming the annular recessin the skirt of thecap carried on said roll, means for effecting relative travellingmovement between said roll and forming flange with the skirt of the capheld tightly between them, whereby the roll and cap are ro- .tatedagainst said flange and the skirt of the cap is given a shape conformingto the forming-surfaces of said flange and roll, and having means backofsaid roll for cushioning the pressure of the roll against the skirt ofthe cap.

2. In a machine of the character described for transforming the flatskirt of a partly formed closure-cap into a skirt having an annularrecess at its upperend to receive a.

I side-seal gasket, a flat base plate extending outwardly therefrom andhaving at its inner edge an undercut groove, a forming roll to receiveand being less in'diameter than the cap and having a shoulder and sidesurfaces conforming to the groove and surfaces of said forming-flangeand adapted to co-operate therewith in forming the annular recess in theskirt of thecap carried onsaid roll, means for effecting re with theskirt of the cap held tightly between them, whereby the roll and cap arerotated against said flange and the skirt of the cap is given a shapeconforming to the formingsurfaces of said flange and roll, and having acoiled spring back of said'roll for firmly and yieldingly pressing theroll against the skirt of the cap and said skirt against the surfaces ofsaid forming flange during the an undercut groove adjacent to saidplate,-

said groove being defined atone end by said plate, at its outer side bya plain wall standing at an angle to the plate and at its other end byan inwardly inclined wall, whence said forming-flange has a plain wallextendmg outwardly from said inclined wall, a forming roll to receiveand being less In d1- v ameter than the cap and having a shoulder andside surfaces conforming to said groove and surfaces of saidforming-flange and adapted to cooperate therewith in forming the annularrecess in the skirt of the cap carried on said roll, a. coiled springback of said roll for firmly and yieldingly pressing the roll againstthe skirt of thecap and said skirt against the surfaces of said formingflange during the shaping of said skirt, and means for effecting atraveling movement of said roll against said forming-flange with theskirt of the cap held tightly between them, whereby the roll and cap arerotated against said flange and the skirt of the cap is given a shapeconforming tothe formingsurfaces of said flange and'roll, the top of theinverted cap being, during the forming operation, against the uppersurface of said flat base plate.

4. for transforming the flat skirt of a partly formed closure-cap intoaskirt having an annular recess .to receive a side-seal gasket, a platehaving a forming flange defining an arc of a circle and extending at anangle from the face of the late and containin an ative travellingmovement between said roll and forming flange.

In a machine of the character described undercut groove 0ft e shape ofthe desired and having an annular shoulder and side surfaces conformingto the groove and surfaces of said flange and adapted to cooperatetherewith in forming the annular recess in the skirt of the cap carriedon said roll, and

means for effecting the travel of said roll along said forming flangewith the skirt of the cap held tightly between them, whereby theroll andcap are rotated against said flange and the skirt of the cap is given'ashape conforming to the fcfiming surfaces of said flange and roll, thetop of the cap during the forming operation being against said plate.the means for effecting the travel of the roll along the flange being aradial arm carrying the roll at its outer end and a driven shaft at thecenter of said circle and to which the inner end of said arm is secured,and saidradial arm being in two parts with an interposed spring betweenthem, the outer part being slidable to permit the spring to press thesame and the roll against said forming flange.

5 A machine as claimed in claim 4, in which the means for effecting thetravel of the roll along the flange is a radial arm carr ving the rollat its outer end and a driven shaft at the center of said circle and towhich the inner end of said arm is secured, and 111 which said radialarm is in two parts with an interposed spring between them, the outerpart being slidable to permit the spring to press the roll outwardly toa limited extentbeyond the starting endof said forming flange and toeffect the compression of the spring when the roll is carried againstand moved inwardly by the starting end of said flange, whereby thespring is enabled to maintain the roll and cap pressed firmly againstthe flange during the travel of the roll along said flange.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, this 8th day of March, A. D. 19:23.

. HARRY INGRAM. I

